Device for improving a golf swing

ABSTRACT

Described is a portable and intuitive golf swing improvement device for indicating the proper shift of a golfer&#39;s body weight to the front foot during a down swing. More specifically, the swing improvement device measures the shift of the golfer&#39;s body weight during a golf swing and indicates when such shift is in accordance with a technically sound swing. Additionally, the swing improvement device is self-sufficient and portable such that the device is deployable almost anywhere. The swing improvement device also provides swing analysis in a manner that is immediately understandable to the golfer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-partof application Ser. No. 12/356,127 filed on Jan. 20, 2009, the contentsof which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to a device for improving a golf swing. Moreparticularly, this invention pertains to a device for indicating theproper shift of a golfer's body weight during the down swing andfollow-through of a golf swing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many golfers, both amateur and professional, are constantly in search ofa consistent and technically sound golf swing. One essential componentof a technically sound golf swing is the shift of the golfer's bodyweight to the front foot during the golfer's down swing. As a result, adevice that measures this shift of body weight to the front foot wouldassist in improving a golfer's swing. Many conventional devices measurethis shift in body weight using various methods and measurementcomponents and configurations. However, the complexity of theseconventional devices requires cumbersome equipment, intricate set-up andoperation procedures, extensive signal processing, and complicated dataanalysis. The cumbersome equipment limits the portability of theseconventional devices and the locations at which they can be used. Infact, some conventional devices can only be moved by machine.Additionally, the intricate set-up and operation of these conventionaldevices limit when the devices can be used. For example, some of theseconventional devices require professional instillation, set-up, andoperation. The extensive signal processing performed by some of theseconventional devices requires an independent computer. This furtherlimits the location at which the devices can be used and requires thepurchase of additional equipment. Additionally, the complicated dataanalysis displayed by some of these conventional devices is cryptic forthe average golfer. As a result, one must be trained to read andunderstand the resulting data analysis of these conventional devices ordepend on another for interpretation. Consequently, a device thatintuitively indicates the proper shift of a golfer's body weight duringa down swing, that is easily operated, and that is portable is desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the various features of the present invention, thereis provided a portable and intuitive golf swing improvement device forindicating the proper shift of a golfer's body weight to the front footduring a technically sound down swing. The swing improvement deviceincludes a mat, a pressure switch, an indicator, a mat securingapparatus, and a transportation apparatus. The mat is sufficiently largesuch that the golfer is able to take a golfer's stance on the mat. Thepressure switch is disposed at the mat such that when the golfer takes astance on the mat, the golfer's front foot is positioned on the pressureswitch. The pressure switch is movable between an open position and aclosed position and is biased to the open position by, for example, aspring. The force of the golfer's front foot against said pressureswitch is sufficient to overcome the bias when the golfer shifts itsbody weight to the front foot in accordance with a technically sounddown swing. Accordingly, when the pressure switch moves to the closedposition, the indicator generates an indication that is perceivable bythe golfer or another, such as an instructor. As a result, when thegolfer performs a technically sound golf swing, the indicator generatesthe indication, which alerts the golfer of a proper swing.

The mat is capable of a portable position, such as a rolled position.The mat securing apparatus is adapted to cooperate with the mat tomaintain the mat at this portable position. The transportation apparatusis secured to the mat such that the swing improvement device can becarried by way of the transportation apparatus. For example, the devicecan be carried over the shoulder of the golfer or attached to thegolfer's bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearlyunderstood from the following detailed description of the invention readtogether with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the golf swing improvement devicein accordance with the various features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a golfer performing a golf swing on the swingimprovement device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the pressure switchhaving a dome-type housing;

FIG. 4 is an alternate embodiment of the pressure switch having a flathousing;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the swing improvementdevice in accordance with the various features of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the swing improvement device at a portable position;

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the transportationapparatus of one embodiment of the swing improvement device;

FIG. 8 illustrates another alternate embodiment of the transportationapparatus;

FIG. 9 illustrates a golfer performing a golf swing on a swingimprovement device in accordance with another embodiment of the presentgeneral inventive concept;

FIG. 10 illustrates a pressure switch including a spring tensionadjustment lever in accordance with another embodiment of the presentgeneral inventive concept;

FIGS. 11A to 12B illustrate an exemplary operation of the spring tensionadjustment lever of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate an exemplary operation of the pressureswitch according an embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 14 is a front view illustrating a low profile of the pressureswitch and output unit according to an example embodiment of the presentgeneral inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a portable and intuitive golf swingimprovement device for indicating the proper shift of a golfer's bodyweight to the front foot during a technically sound down swing. Morespecifically, the swing improvement device measures the shift of thegolfer's body weight during a golf swing and indicates when such shiftis in accordance with a technically sound swing. Additionally, the swingimprovement device is self-sufficient and portable such that the deviceis deployable almost anywhere. The swing improvement device alsoprovides swing analysis in a manner that is immediately understandableto the golfer. One embodiment of the golf swing improvement deviceconstructed in accordance with the various features of the presentinvention is illustrated generally at 10 in FIG. 1.

The golf swing improvement device 10 includes a mat 12, a pressureswitch 14, and an indicator 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the mat12 is sufficiently large such that a golfer taking a golfer's stance isable to stand with both feet on the mat 12, as is illustrated at FIG. 2.A golfer's stance is the stance a golfer takes when initiating the swingof a golf club. The pressure switch 14 is disposed at the mat 12 suchthat the golfer's front foot 18 is positioned on the pressure switch 14when the golfer takes a stance on the mat 12. The golfer's front foot 18is the foot in the direction of a golf swing. More specifically, whenthe golfer swings right handed, as illustrated at FIG. 2, the front foot18 is the golfer's left foot, and the back foot 20 is the golfer's rightfoot. Accordingly, when the golfer swings left handed, the front foot 18is the golfer's right foot, and the back foot 20 is the golfer's leftfoot.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of the pressureswitch 14 in accordance with the various features of the presentinvention. The pressure switch 14 includes an upper housing member 22, apair of electrodes 24, a biasing spring 26, a pair of electricalcontacts 28, and a lower housing member 30. The pressure switch 14 iscapable of an open position and a closed position. When the pressureswitch 14 is at the open position, the electrodes 24 and the electricalcontacts 28 are not in electrical communication. Conversely, when thepressure switch 14 is at the closed position, each of the electrodes 24is in electrical communication with a respective one of the electricalcontacts 28. The pressure switch 14 is biased to the open position byway of the biasing spring 26. More specifically, in the illustratedembodiment, the electrodes 24 are mechanically secured to the under sideof the upper housing member 22 such that the electrodes 24 extend fromthe upper housing member 22 in the direction of the lower housing member30. Accordingly, the electrical contacts 28 are mechanically secured tothe upper side of the lower housing member 30 such that each electricalcontact 28 is spatially aligned with a respective electrode 24. Thebiasing spring 26 mechanically engages the upper housing member 22 andthe lower housing member 30 such that the biasing spring 26 biases thepressure switch 14 to the open position. When the swing improvementdevice 10 is deployed, as illustrated at FIGS. 1 and 2, the lowerhousing member 30 is positioned against the ground, either directly orby way of the mat 12. As a result, to move the pressure switch 14 to theclosed position, a force must be applied to the upper housing member 22,whereby the force is sufficient to overcome the biasing force generatedby the biasing spring 26. The biasing force generated by the biasingspring 26 is defined subsequently.

In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing spring 26 is a wave spring. Awave spring permits the pressure switch 14 to have a low profile suchthat the pressure switch 14, despite being positioned under the golfer'sfront foot 18, does not affect the golfer's swing. Additionally, a wavespring provides a more consistent and reliable biasing force againstforces that are not parallel with the longitudinal axis of the biasingspring 26. For example, when the golfer swings a club, the front foot 18shifts laterally such that forces unparallel with the longitudinal axisof the biasing spring 26 are applied against the biasing spring 26.However, it should be noted that the biasing spring 26 can be a springother than a wave spring without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe present invention.

Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the upper side of the upper housingmember 22 has a dome-type contour such that the pressure switch 14 doesnot restrict the movement of the golfer's front foot 18 during thecourse of a swing. Instead, the contour of the upper housing member 22permits the golfer's front foot 18 to pivot in accordance with atechnically sound swing. Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment,the upper housing member 22 includes a shoulder 42 that extends beyondthe perimeter of the lower housing member 30 and slopes gradually towardthe lower housing member 30. This configuration permits the pressureswitch 14 to be moved to the closed position without the housing members22 and 30 restricting such movement and provides protection againstenvironmental elements to the components of the switch 14. It should benoted that the upper side of the upper housing member 22 can have acontour other than a dome-type contour, such as a flat contour, asillustrated at FIG. 4, without departing from the scope or spirit of thepresent invention. It should also be noted that the upper housing member22 does not require the shoulder 42 to remain within the scope or spiritof the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the swing improvementdevice 10 in accordance with the various features of the presentinvention. The swing improvement device 10 includes a power source 32,the pressure switch 14, and the indicator 16. The power source 32 is inelectrical communication with the pressure switch 14, which is inelectrical communication with the indicator 16. Stated differently, thepower source 32 is in electrical communication with the indicator 16 byway of the pressure switch 14. When the pressure switch 14 is at theopen position, the power source 32 is not in electrical communicationwith the indicator 16 such that the indicator 16 is not provided withoperating power. Conversely, when the pressure switch 14 is at theclosed position, the circuit is complete such that the power source 32is in electrical communication with the indicator 16. When in electricalcommunication with the indicator 16, the power source 32 provides theindicator 16 with operating power such that the indicator 16 isactivated. As a result, when a force sufficient to overcome the biasingforce is applied to the upper housing member 22 of the pressure switch14, the indicator 16 is activated.

When activated, the indicator 16 generates an indication that isperceivable by the golfer. For example, in one embodiment the indicator16 generates an audible indication, such as a tone. When the indicator16 generates an audible indication, the indicator 16 can be, forexample, a piezoelectric buzzer. In one embodiment, the indicator 16generates a visible indication, such as a flashing light. When theindicator 16 generates a visible indication, the indicator 16 can be,for example, an LED. The indicator 16 is disposed at the mat 12 suchthat the indication is perceivable by the golfer or at least another,such as an instructor. The indicator 16 may include a housing enclosinga battery powered circuit board to enable the LED display and/or audiblespeaker when the indicator 16 is activated. It is also possible toconfigure the indicator 16 as an output unit including an interface tocommunicate with an external terminal or other display device (such as acomputer) via a wired or wireless transmission medium to output anindication signal to an external terminal or computer system. This wouldenable a coach or other person to receive, visualize, and/or recordresults of a golfer's swing, from a remote location or other appropriatedistance from the golfer, to analyze the golf swing based on atransmitted signal from the output unit 16.

Considering the above discussion in conjunction with FIG. 2, when thegolfer takes a golfer's stance on the mat 12, the golfer's front foot 18is positioned on the upper housing member 22 of the pressure switch 14.Prior to initiating the golf swing, the golfer's body weight issubstantially evenly distributed between the front foot 18 and the backfoot 20. The biasing force of the biasing spring 26 is such that theforce applied to the upper housing member 22 by the front foot 18 whenthe golfer is at this initial position is not sufficient to overcome thebiasing force. As a result, when the golfer is at this initial position,the indicator 16 is not activated. When the golfer initiates the swing,the golfer first takes a back swing. As the golfer takes the back swing,the body weight of the golfer is shifted such that a majority of thegolfer's body weight is at the back foot 20. As a result, when thegolfer is at the top of the back swing, the indicator 16 is notactivated. When the golfer performs a technically sound down swing andcorresponding follow-through, the majority of the golfer's body weightshifts from the back foot 20 to the front foot 18. When this majority ofbody weight is shifted to the front foot 18, the body weight thensupported by the front foot 18 generates a force against the upperhousing member 22 of the pressure switch 14 that is sufficient toovercome the biasing force generated by the biasing spring 26. Asdiscussed above, when the biasing force is overcome, the indicator 16 isactivated such that it generates the indication. As a result, when thegolfer's body weight shifts in accordance with a technically sound golfswing, the indicator 16 generates the indication. Stated differently,when the golfer performs a technically sound golf swing, the indicator16 indicates such.

Because the body weight of one golfer can differ significantly fromanother, in one embodiment of the pressure switch 14, the biasing forcegenerated by the biasing spring 26 is adjustable. More specifically, inone embodiment, the extent to which the electrodes 24 extend from theunder side of the upper housing member 22 is adjustable. The more theelectrodes 24 extend from the upper housing member 22, the less distancethere is between the electrodes 24 and the electrical contacts 28 whenno external force is applied against the upper housing member 22. As aresult, the force required to overcome the biasing force, that is, theforce required to move the electrodes 24 into electrical communicationwith the electrical contacts 28, is reduced. As a result, adjusting theposition of the electrodes 24 enables the pressure switch 14 to beadjusted to accommodate golfers of various body weights. In oneembodiment, the electrodes 24 are secured to the upper housing member 22by way of cooperating threaded portions such that as each of theelectrodes 24 is rotated about its longitudinal axis, the extent towhich the electrode 24 extends from the upper housing member 22 isadjusted. It should be noted that the extent to which the electrodes 24extend from the under side of the upper housing member 22 can beadjustable by ways other than the electrodes 24 having cooperatingthreaded portions without departing from the scope or spirit of thepresent invention.

In another embodiment, the pressure switch 14 is adapted such that thebiasing spring 26 is readily replaceable. In this embodiment, multiplebiasing springs 26 of various tensions are selectively used with thepressure switch 14 such that the tension of the currently employedbiasing spring 26 governs the biasing force. As a result, the forcerequired to move the pressure switch 14 to the closed position isadjustable in that it is based on the currently employed biasing spring26. Stated differently, replacing the biasing spring 26 adjusts therequired force exerted by the golfer to move the pressure switch 14 tothe closed position such that the pressure switch 14 can be adjusted toaccommodate golfers of various body weights. In the illustratedembodiment, when one of the bolts 46 is removed, the spatialrelationship between the upper housing member 22 and the lower housingmember 30 is such that the biasing spring 26 can be removed from andinserted within the pressure switch 14. Although, two specificembodiments of an adjustable pressure switch 14 have been discussedabove, it should be noted that the biasing force generated by thebiasing spring 26 can be adjustable by ways other than those discussedabove without departing from the scope or spirit of the presentinvention.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper housingmember 22 defines at least one opening 44 adapted to receive a bolt 46having a male threaded member. Additionally, the lower housing member 30defines at least one nut-type structure 48 having a female threadedmember adapted to cooperate with the threaded member of the bolt 46 suchthat the bolt 46 can be secured to the nut-type structure 48 inaccordance with a conventional bolt-nut configuration. When received bythe first opening 44, the bolt 46 extends therethrough and engages withthe nut-type structure 48 in accordance with the above discussion. As aresult, when the bolt 46 engages the nut-type structure 48, the bolt 46can be tightened with respect to the nut-type structure 48 such that thebolt 46 and nut-type structure 48 overcome the biasing force and movethe upper housing member 22 closer to the lower housing member 30,partially compressing the biasing spring 26. In doing this, the overallheight of the pressure switch 14 is adjusted to accommodate, forexample, the preference of the golfer or the mechanics of a givenexercise.

Considering the above discussion, the golf swing improvement device 10indicates a technically sound golf swing in a manner that is immediatelyand unambiguously recognizable to the golfer or another. Additionally,no component of the swing improvement device 10 is attached or tetheredto the golfer such that the golfer is able to take a golf swing usingthe device 10 and then immediately step away from the device 10 and takea swing without using the device 10. This assists the golfer isdeveloping lower body muscle memory.

In the illustrated embodiment, the golf swing improvement device 10provides a portability feature. More specifically, in the illustratedembodiment, the mat 12 is capable of being manipulated to a portableposition, and the swing improvement device 10 includes a mat securingapparatus 34 and a transportation apparatus 36. In the illustratedembodiment, the mat securing apparatus 34 includes a plurality ofsecuring straps secured to a first side 38 of the mat 12. Each securingstrap 34 is adapted to be removably secured to at least a portion of theunder side of the mat 12. For example, on one embodiment, the securingstrap 34 is removably secured to the under side of the mate 12 by way ofa hook-and-loop fastener configuration. In the illustrated embodiment,the mat 12 is manipulated to the portable position by rolling the mat 12from a second end 40, which is opposite the first end 38, to the firstend 38. When the mat 12 is fully rolled, each securing strap 34 iswrapped about at least a portion of the rolled mat 12 and fastened tothe under side of the mat 12, for example, using the integralhook-and-loop fastener, securing the mat 12 at the rolled, or portable,position, as illustrated at FIG. 6. When the device 10 is secured at theportable position, the device 10 can be carried using the transportationapparatus 36, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a strap securedto the mat 12. It should be noted that the device 10 can be manuallycarried using the transportation apparatus 36, such as over the shoulderof the golfer, or can be attached to, for example, a golf bag. It shouldalso be noted that the mat securing apparatus 34 and the transportationapparatus 36 can be apparatus other than those illustrated withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the transportationapparatus 36 in accordance with the various features of the presentinvention. In the alternate embodiment, the transportation apparatus 36is removably secured to the mat 12. In the illustrated embodiment, thetransportation apparatus 36 is secured to the mat 12 by way of a loopstructure 44, the loop structure 44 being secured to the mat 14 andadapted to receive the transportation apparatus 36. When received by theloop structure 44, the transportation apparatus 36 is removably securedto itself, defining a loop about the loop structure 44 and removablysecuring the transportation apparatus 36 to the mat 12. In theillustrated embodiment, the transportation apparatus 36 is removablysecured to itself using a hook-and-loop fastener configuration. However,it should be noted that the transportation apparatus 36 can be removablysecured to itself by ways other than a hook-and-loop fastener withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates another alternate embodiment of the transportationapparatus 36 in accordance with the various features of the presentinvention. In this alternate embodiment, the transportation apparatus 36includes a first transportation apparatus member 36 a and a secondtransportation apparatus member 36 b. The first transportation apparatusmember 36 a is removably secured to the second transportation apparatus36 b. In the illustrated embodiment, this is accomplished using ahook-and-loop fastener configuration. However, it should be noted thatthe first transportation member 36 a can be removably secured to thesecond transportation apparatus member 36 b by ways other than ahook-and-loop fastener without departing from the scope or spirit of thepresent invention. The alternate embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 facilitatethe swing improvement device 10 being secured to certain objects, such agolf bag.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, it is possible to implement a pressure switch14 without the use of a practice mat to enable a golfer to easilytransport, set-up, and use the pressure switch 14 wherever the golferdesires to practice. Moreover, as described above, it is also possibleto configure the indicator 16 as an output unit to include atransmitting device 90 to communicate with an external terminal or othercomputer or display device (not illustrated) via a wired or wirelesstransmission medium to output an indication signal to an externalterminal or computer system upon activation of the indicator. This wouldenable a coach or other person to receive, visualize, and/or recordresults of a golfer's swing from a remote location or other appropriatedistance form the golfer based on the indication signal of the outputunit 16.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a pressure switch 14 including anadjustment lever 101 according to another example embodiment of thepresent general inventive concept. Referring to FIG. 10, the adjustmentlever 101 can include a ring-shaped portion 102 and a lever portion 103.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12B, the lower housing member 30 includes amounting surface 105 to receive the ring-shaped portion 102, and arising channel surface 106 to receive the lever portion 103. The biasingspring 26, or compression member, can then be disposed on top of thering-shaped portion 102 such that the ring-shaped portion supports abottom surface of the biasing spring 26 at a predetermined heightbetween the upper housing 22 and the lower housing 30, as illustrated inFIGS. 11A and 11B.

For example, referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, when the upper housingmember 22 is mounted to the lower housing member 30 and the leverportion 103 is positioned at a first end of the channel surface 106(e.g., left end of channel 106 in FIG. 11A), the ring-shaped portion ispositioned to support a bottom surface of the biasing spring 26 at afirst height d₁ between the upper housing 26, thus providing a firstbiasing force between the upper housing member 22 and the lower housingmember 30. The first biasing force can correspond to a first body weightof a particular golfer such the first biasing force is sufficient towithstand a first pressure from the golfer's front foot to preventactivation of the contact switch during initiation of the golf swing,but when the golfer's body weight shifts during the down swing, thebiasing force is overcome by the additional pressure transferred togolfer's front foot in accordance with a proper golf swing, thusenabling activation of the contact switch. In other words, when themajority of body weight of the golfer is shifted to the front foot 18from the back foot according to a technically sound golf swing, thefirst biasing force can be overcome to activate the switch 104 andgenerate the indicator signal. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the switch 104 can be any known or later developed switch chosenwith sound engineering judgment to interact with linear and/or arcuatemovement of the upper housing member 22 with respect to the lowerhousing member 30 to activate the switch 104 to generate an indicationsignal. For example, the switch 104 could be a momentary-on or membraneswitch, but the switch 104 is not limited to any particular type ofswitch.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, it is possible to increase the biasingforce of the spring 26 by moving the lever 103 toward the upper side ofthe channel surface 106 (e.g., right hand side of channel 106 in FIG.12A), thus pre-loading the biasing spring 26 to a second height d₂ lessthan the first height d₁ to increase the biasing force necessary toactivate the switch 104. In this example embodiment, since the channelsurface 106 is tapered, when the lever portion 103 is moved from left toright along the channel surface 106, the lever portion 103 graduallyrises along the rising tapered channel surface 106 to provide anincreasing tension to a portion of the bottom surface of the spring 26(i.e., decreasing the height of the spring from d₁ to d₂), thusincreasing the biasing force necessary to activate the switch 104 duringa proper golf swing.

In this configuration, the ring-shaped portion of the adjustment leversupports a bottom surface of the compression member such that when theadjustment lever is positioned at one end of the tapered surface, thering-shaped portion supports the bottom surface of the compressionmember at a first height between the upper housing and the lower housingto define a first biasing force, and when the adjustment lever ispositioned at another end of the tapered surface, the ring-shapedportion elevates at least a portion of the bottom surface of thecompression member to a second height between the upper housing and thelower housing to define a second biasing force greater than the firstbiasing force. Such adjustment mechanism enables the pressure switch 14to be easily adjusted to accommodate various swing pressures and/or bodyweights associated with different golfers. It is noted that many othertypes and configurations of adjustment mechanisms, in addition to themechanisms illustrated and described herein, could be used to adjust thebiasing force of the pressure switch, without departing from the broaderprinciples of the present general inventive concept.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate exemplary arcuate motion, i.e., rockingmotion, of the upper housing member 22 according an example embodimentof the present general inventive concept. In this embodiment, inaddition to linear (i.e., upward-downward) motion of the upper housingmember 22 with respect to the lower housing member 30 when the golfer'sfoot applies pressure to the pressure switch 14, the pressure switch 14can be responsive to compressive arcuate motion (i.e., rocking motion)of the upper housing member 22 with respect to the lower housing member30. To facilitate this arcuate movement, the upper side of the upperhousing member 22 can have a dome-type contour to comfortablyaccommodate the pivoting movement of the golfer's front foot providedduring a technically sound golf swing. This configuration alsoadvantageously maintains a low profile for the pressure switch 14, tominimize interference with the golfer's natural movements.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary configuration where the pressure switch14, indicator 16, and associated wiring are embedded into the topsurface of the mat 12, to provide a low profile for the pressure switch14 when the device is used with the optional mat 12. The top surface ofthe mat 12 can include an artificial grass structure. A recess can beformed in the artificial grass structure to accommodate the pressureswitch 14 and indicator 16 for convenience of assembly, and to maintaina low profile of the pressure switch 14 under the golfer's foot.

Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the spring 26 can be a wave spring tofacilitate rocking motion of the upper housing member 22 to activate theswitch 104 as the golfer's foot rolls and/or pivots according to weightshift during a proper golf swing. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that wave springs operate as load bearing devices to take upplay and compensate for dimensional variations within assemblies. Arange of forces can be applied to the spring whereby loads build eithergradually or abruptly to reach a predetermined working height. Thisestablishes a predetermined spring rate in which load is proportional todeflection. The working height of the spring 26 can be adjusted tochange the biasing force of the spring, and a variety of forcesassociated with a golfer's weight shift can be translated from thegolfer's foot to the spring 26 to facilitate accurate and consistentactivation of switch 104 during a technically sound golf swing.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will recognizethat a golf swing improvement device for indicating the proper shift ofa golfer's body weight to the front foot during a down swing offeringadvantages over the prior art has been provided. More specifically, theswing improvement device measures the shift of the golfer's body weightduring a golf swing and indicates when such shift is in accordance witha technically sound swing. Additionally, the swing improvement device isself-sufficient and portable such that the device is deployable almostanywhere. The swing improvement device also provides swing analysis in amanner that is immediately understandable to the golfer.

While the present invention has been illustrated by description ofseveral embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments have beendescribed in considerable detail, it is not the intention of theapplicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appendedclaims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications willreadily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broaderaspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representativeapparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described.Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departingfrom the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

1. A golf swing improvement device to indicate a shift of a golfer'sbody weight during a golf swing, comprising: a lower housing having anopening disposed through a peripheral surface thereof; an upper housingmovably coupled to the lower housing to receive the golfer's front foot;a contact switch disposed between the upper housing and the lowerhousing such that the contact switch is activated upon a predeterminedcompression of the upper housing with respect to the lower housing; acompression member disposed between the upper housing and the lowerhousing to create a biasing force between the upper housing and thelower housing such that when the golfer initiates the golf swing, thebiasing force withstands a first pressure from the golfer's front footto prevent activation of the contact switch, and when the golfer's bodyweight shifts during a down swing, the biasing force is overcome by asecond pressure from the golfer's front foot, greater than the firstpressure, to enable activation of the contact switch; and an adjustmentlever movably disposed within the opening to contact the compressionmember such that the biasing force is changed when the adjustment leveris moved within the opening.
 2. The golf swing improvement device ofclaim 1, wherein the adjustment lever comprises a ring-shaped portion tosupport a bottom surface of the compression member and the openingcomprises an elongated tapered surface such that when the adjustmentlever is positioned at one end of the tapered surface, the ring-shapedportion supports the bottom surface of the compression member at a firstheight between the upper housing and the lower housing to define a firstbiasing force, and when the adjustment lever is positioned at anotherend of the tapered surface, the ring-shaped portion elevates a portionof the bottom surface of the compression member to a second heightbetween the upper housing and the lower housing to define a secondbiasing force greater than the first biasing force.
 3. The golf swingimprovement device of claim 1, further comprising: an output unitconnected to the contact switch to output an indication signal when thecontact switch is activated.
 4. The golf swing improvement device ofclaim 1, further comprising a practice mat having a recess formedtherein to receive the lower housing and the upper housing such that anupper surface of the upper housing is substantially coplanar to a topsurface of the practice mat when the lower housing and the upper housingare installed in the recess.
 5. The golf swing improvement device ofclaim 1 wherein the contact switch is a membrane switch to be activatedupon compression of the upper housing with respect to the lower housing.6. The golf swing improvement device of claim 1, wherein thepredetermined compression of the upper housing with respect to the lowerhousing is achieved by arcuate motion and/or linear motion of the upperhousing with respect to the lower housing.
 7. The golf swing improvementdevice of claim 1 wherein the contact switch is a momentary-on switch tobe activated upon compression of the upper housing with respect to thelower housing.